THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW YORK/MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 29, 2026

India’s experience in deploying artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure and population-scale development solutions came under the global spotlight at the fifth edition of ‘India Day @ UNGA’, with policymakers and international institutions calling for stronger partnerships to take proven innovations beyond national borders.

The event, organised by Reliance Foundation, the United Nations in India and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) during the week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, brought together governments, multilateral organisations, civil society and the private sector to examine how technology and innovative development models can help accelerate progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Held on September 24, the programme featured discussions on artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, women-led development, healthcare and inclusive growth, while a high-level ministerial dialogue examined new approaches to international development cooperation amid geopolitical, climate and technological disruptions.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who participated in the ministerial session ‘Ruptures & Ramparts: Building Bridges for a Changing World’, underlined the role of multilateral institutions and cooperation in addressing contemporary global challenges.

 “The UN is central to the international system – BRICS is supportive to the UN system. The issues that were highlighted by BRICS are the key issues today – sustainability, co-operation which issues for the United Nations as well,” Jaishankar said.

The ministerial conversation, which also featured Jamaica's Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, Suriname's Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation Minister Melvin Bouva, Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and East-West Center President and Chief Executive Celeste Connors, explored the need for a development compact centred on innovation, technology, finance and partnerships.

Ablakwa said developing countries needed to engage with the global system as equal partners and seek arrangements that maximise the benefits of international cooperation.

The discussions reflected the growing focus on how technologies such as AI can be integrated into public systems while ensuring that innovation remains accessible to populations at scale.

Rohit Kansal, Secretary, Department of Rural Development, said India's experience demonstrated that the significance of technology lay not merely in the numbers reached but in the infrastructure and ecosystems created to enable widespread access.

 “The real message is not in the numbers, it’s the kind of infrastructure that we’ve built. India’s message is at population scale; we democratize access, we build the architecture, and we leave the ecosystem to do the rest,” Kansal said.

 “Humans need not learn the language of AI, but AI should learn the language of human,” he added.

Healthcare was another major focus, with Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, stressing the importance of combining physical infrastructure with digital technologies and AI to build stronger health systems.

 “Infrastructure and technology need to work together to achieve what we want it to achieve. We will need to have the infrastructure, but we will also have to have AI and digital technology to build a healthier future for others,” she said.

Energy and AI were also discussed as increasingly interconnected areas of development. Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said AI could help make energy infrastructure more resilient and improve the efficiency of distribution companies.

 “Energy for AI will not be a problem, but a solution once we have addressed AI for energy,” Sarangi said, highlighting the potential of AI to strengthen energy systems and improve distribution efficiency.

The event's broader programme featured four thematic sessions covering the future of development in an era of intelligence and instability, health and opportunities for women, children and youth, population-scale AI adoption and emerging approaches to AI governance.

The session ‘Beyond 2030: Rewiring Development for an Age of Intelligence, Inclusion and Instability’ examined the impact of geopolitical, climate, demographic and technological changes on development pathways.

 ‘Women, Children and Youth: Building Healthier Futures for the Next Billion’ focused on public systems, community-led delivery, technology and partnerships aimed at improving health, education and economic opportunities.

 ‘The AI Promise: Diffusion at Population Scale’ explored applications of AI across languages, sectors, institutions and public service delivery, particularly in India and the Global South.

The concluding discussion on ‘Rules of Engagement: AI Governance for a Changing World’ examined AI regulation, data governance, institutional capacity and responsible technology deployment.

Stefan Priesner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, said the remaining years before 2030 could still provide an opportunity to scale solutions that have demonstrated results in India.

 “Four years remain until 2030. That is not long, but it is long enough if the solutions India has proven at home can travel the world,” Priesner said.

B Srinivasan, Executive Lead, Reliance Foundation, said the scale and complexity of contemporary development challenges required cooperation extending beyond individuals, institutions and nations.

 “In the changing world scenario today, AI and development is beyond individuals, institutions and nations. The challenges are complex, but the solution is in a new world, driven by humanity,” he said.

ORF President Samir Saran said the central purpose of India Day was to examine how technology, innovation, partnerships, philanthropy and international institutions could work together to improve human development.

 “AI is not just a passion project of ‘tech bros’ but a broader human project that can change how societies prosper and service each other,” Saran said.

The programme also saw the launch of the fifth India Day @ UNGA publication, When Silicon Meets the Soil: India's AI Revolution, which examines India's experience with artificial intelligence across 18 chapters and explores the country's emergence as a major source of AI use cases.

Vishal Harsh, Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of India, said India's scale made its development experience relevant to countries seeking solutions that could reach large populations.

 “Development and innovation matter most when they reach the last person. AI is the next major opportunity. Solutions developed at scale in India can support countries across the Global South,” he said.

Since its launch in 2022, India Day @ UNGA has sought to provide a platform for discussions on development models, technology, partnerships and innovations emerging from India.

The 2026 edition placed particular emphasis on taking solutions developed in local contexts to population scale and exploring how such models could be adapted and shared across the Global South and beyond.